Visible card index



Feb. 1, 1949.

R. J. COPELAND VISIBLE CARD INDEX Filed April 21, 1945 [rn/en for Patented Feb. 1, 1949 irs-lcs VISIBLE CARD INDEX Y 'Robert J. Copeland, Toronto, ontario, canada appiicauonnprii 21, 1945;, serial Np. 559,523

Y formed with a series of notches adapted to e`ngage with positioning members arranged in fixed positionsr in a card holder,` said notches being'engaged by movable-members mounted in the vcard holderand adapted to--lock the cards against accidental displacement Whether inn-ormai or.A

reve 'sedpositions'. Y f

A further important object is to devise a card hoId-er with regularly-spaced positioning mem-l bers to engagenotches in .thecards to accurately locatesame to hold'them in'theirrelative positionsndgalso having ar slidable member carrying locking members adapted tobefreadily moved to lockingpr release positions toholdor release the cards. I

The principal feature of the invention consists in the-novel construction. ofa card holder with regularly spaced fixed transverse-rnembersand a slidabl'e frame .arranged thereabove having regularly spaced transverse members, and cards having T sha'ped.slots, the lower-portion of which isnadapted toengage saidiivxed members; for positioning the cardsinthe holder relative to each other andthe upper portionpresents shoulders to engage the-.transverse members-pi the slidable member to lock the cards from accidental dis'- placement.

-vIn the accompanying drawingsp- Figure I .is a longitudinal verticalY lsection of one end portion of a cardholder constructedin accordance with this invention showing the locking cross membersin position with the cards unlocked.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the end of a card holder opposite to the end shown in Figure 1 and showing the locking cross members in the position to lock the cards in place.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section of a card holder showing the card locking members in the locking position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the card holder shown in Figure 2.

Figure-5 is a cross section holder as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a cross section through a card holder showing a slightly modified construction.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudithrough the card nal section of a card holder as illustrated in Figure 6 showing the locking members in the position to lock the cards.

Visible index cards in which the record cards 3 Claims. Cl. v129'--18)` are arranged in groups in echelon are foundv to be a highly desirable form of keeping records of various kinds and it is common practice to 'form such cards with a plurality of equally spaced notches in the bottom edge which fit over rods arranged transversely of a case for holding such cards, thereby assuring the edge spacing of the cards so that groups thereof may be kept in echelon arrangement to display the index tabs or the diagonalupper corners thereof.

Y Such card holders sometimes are upset andthe cards become misplaced in such a manner that a great deal of labour is involved in putting the cards in'order."

This invention has been devised to provide a very simplev and economical means for preventing such laccidental displacement of the record cards- In l'the form of the invention illustrated herein thev card Aholder is `formed of a length I of sheet mate-rial, preferablysteel. The longitudinal edges 2 arerturned at right angles forming al shallow Uflshaped metal strip. The strip vl is Ypreferably backed by an outer cover 3 withanged edges @which may be formed of card or suitable fibre board.

Side covers 5 of suitable forni and material are hinged to the longitudinal sidev flanges. 2. The outward swing oi these covers may be limited by links 6 slidably connected to a slotted end plate l.

Mounted transversely of the member I, .and equallyspaced throughout the length thereof are a plurality of cross ribs 3 here shown of iianged sheet metal which may be riveted. spot- Welded or lotherwise secured. These cross ribs 8 register with notches 9 cut in the bottom edge of the record cards VIii and said notches are preferably arranged so that every fourth notch will register with one of the cross ribs 8. This -arrangement provides a desired spacing for the overlapping echelon arrangement of the cards,

Each of the notches 9 is formed in T-shape, that is to say, each vertical edge of the notch is formed Withva lateral enlarged part Il at the top thereof.

ly supported on a cross bar I8 secured at the ends in the side flanges 2 of the member I.

It will be understood that by pressing inwardly upon the finger plate Il' it will be swung on its pivotal support and the slotted lugs engaging the cross bar I5 of the frame I2 causes said frame to be moved longitudinally. An opposite movement of the frame is eiected by pressing outwardly on the upper edge of the finger plate.

A plurality of cross bars I9 are secured in the longitudinal side members of the frame I2 and extend between the same. These cross bars are arranged to register with the cross ribs 8 and are arranged slightly above the top edge of said ribs when the finger plate isV in the outward position.

The cross bars I9 are adapted, when the nger plate is pressed inwardly, to move laterally to one side of the upper notched portions I i of Vthe cards I0, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and it will be seen that when these cross bars are in this position the cards, which are held from shifting longitudinally by the cross ribs 8 extending into the central openings of the T-shaped notches, will prevent the cards from being lifted out of the holder, or from being accidentally displaced if the holder is upset.

When it is desired to remove cards from the holder for the purpose of making entries thereon the nger plate is pressed outwardly to shift the cross bars I9 to the position as illustrated in Figures l and 4 so that they will be moved clear of `the shoulders formed by the enlarged portions I I.

The notches 9 are formed T-shaped so that if the cards are reversed and haveentres made on the reverse side the locking of the cross bars I9 will still be effective.

The device herein described is capable of various modications, and as shown in Figures 6 and 7, in place of the rib members 8 being secured to the metal strip I, cross bars may be arranged to extend between the side ribs 2 to enter the lower portion of the T-notches 9. When this construction is adopted, the frame I2 may be arranged above the cross bars 20 or the frame may be slotted to permit the frame to slidelongitudinally.

It will be understood from this description thatY 4 above said cross members to enter the laterally enlarged portions of said notches.

2. A card index comprising, a holder having flanged edges, spaced ribs extending transversely of said holder between said anged edges, bars slidably arranged parallel with the flanged edges of said holder, cross bars arranged above said ribs and having their ends secured in said slidable bars, said cross bars being spaced equal to the spacing of said cross ribs, means for moving said slidable lbars to move the cross bars into and out of Vertical register' with the cross ribs, and cards formed with notches spaced to register with the cross bars and ribs, said notches having enlarged portions at the top to permit displacement of the upper cross bars from out of vertical alignment with the holder cross ribs.

3. A card index comprising, a longitudinal strip formed with Vedge flanges, cross ribs equally spaced extending across said longitudinal strip, a frame slidably arranged between the anges of said longitudinal strip, cross bars arranged in said frame above said cross ribs but spaced equally thereto, means for moving said frame longitudinally of said strip to move said cross bars into and out of Vertical register with said cross ribs, and cards having in their lower edge notches of T-form adapted to receive the cross bars and cross ribs when in register to position the card and to permit lateral movement of the cross bars above the cross ribsto lock the cards securely in position.

ROBERT J. COPELAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordl in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 507,388 Rosenthal Oct. 24, 1893 700,391 Watt May 20, 1902 861,968 Gloe July 30, 1907 1,065,105 Best June 17, 1913 2,014,994 Stone Sept. 17, 1935 2,020,129 Wedge Nov. 5, 1935 2,105,235 Schade Jan. 11, 1938 2,350,266 Wolters May 30, V1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,555 GreatBritain 1903 128,669 Germany 1902 174,840 France 1922 236,001 Germany 1911 815,866 France 1937 

